Granville Community Calendar

ROLL CALL (7:34pm) Those responding to the roll call were Councilmembers Bellman, Crais, Lucier, McGowan, and Moore; Mayor Robertson, and Manager Hickman. Councilmember Lucier moved to excuse Vice Mayor Wernet, due to the death of his mother; second by Councilmember McGowan. Motion carried.

CITIZENS’ COMMENTS (opened by Mayor Robertson at 7:35pm) Robert Birch, 196 North Buena Vista Street, Newark (representing the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast). Invited Council to attend this year’s event (6:00am, Friday October 3, Adena Hall on the OSU-N campus). The sponsors are asking community leaders to join them in trying to draw the county together and using the spiritual component of this event to foster cooperation.

Mayor Robertson closed Citizens' Comments at 7:37pm.

PUBLIC HEARING (7:37pm) A public hearing was held on Ordinance No. 20-00, An Ordinance To Amend Ordinance No. 43-99 Providing For Adjustments Of The Annual Budget For The Fiscal Year 2000 And Revising Sums For Operating Expenses. No one appeared to speak for or against the Ordinance. Mayor Robertson closed the hearing at 7:37pm.

NEW BUSINESS (7:38pm) Ordinance No. 21-00, An Ordinance To Create A Broadway Bed Fund, was introduced by title only by Councilmember Bellman; second by Councilmember Crais. Mayor Robertson set the public hearing for Ordinance No. 21-00 for November 1, 2000. (7:39pm) Ordinance No. 22-00, An Ordinance Providing For The Issuance Of $960,000 Of Notes By The Village Of Granville, Ohio, In Anticipation Of The Issuance Of Bonds For The Purpose Of Paying Part Of The Cost Of Refunding The Village’s Outstanding Sewer System Mortgage Revenue Refunding Bonds Dated As Of May 1, 1991, and Constructing Improvements To The Municipal Sanitary Sewer System, And Matters Related Thereto, And Declaring An Emergency, was introduced by title only by Councilmember Moore; second by Councilmember Bellman.

Discussion: Molly Roberts reported that the 1-year renewal note went out for bid. Five bids were received; the low bid specifies a net interest rate of 4.52%. Part of the proceeds will be used to retire sanitary sewer bonds at a lower interest rate and to reduce the years of the debt. The impact on sewer debt charge on water bills is not yet clear.

Councilmember Moore moved the emergency clause of the Ordinance. Second by Councilmember Bellman. A Roll Call vote yielded six (6) affirmative votes: Councilmembers Bellman, Crais, Lucier, McGowan, and Moore; Mayor Robertson. The Emergency is declared.

(7:45pm) Ordinance No. 23-00, An Ordinance To Establish The Granville Village Manager’s Salary For 2001, was introduced by title only by Councilmember Lucier; second by Councilmember Crais. Mayor Robertson corrected the dates on the 7th and 9th lines of Page 2 to read: 9/15/2001 and 9/15/2002, respectively. Mayor Robertson set the public hearing for Ordinance No. 21-00 for November 1, 2000

OLD BUSINESS (7:47pm) Wage and Salary Discussion: Councilmember Moore stated she believed there had been a misunderstanding of the second proposal, making all the related charts incorrect (i.e., there are some two-step increases where the intent was for everyone below the “J” level to get normal one-step increases). She cited the attachment to the 9/26/00 memo, page 1, “Estimated Projected Wages for 2001-2003,” showing the 4% adjustment.

Mr. McGowan moved that Council adopt the original 2000 proposal without re-lettering the steps or changing anything except for the addition of “J” at 4% above “I”; second by Councilmember Moore.

Discussion: The discussion focused on both long-term and short-term concerns re the salary decisions to be made. Councilmember Bellman asked if adding a step this year would mean we would have to add a new one every year, wondered if the step system accurately reflects the work of the employees and the value we place on it, and cautioned that care needs to be taken not to undermine employee morale by precipitously changing an entrenched pay system. Councilmember McGowan reiterated the need to deal with the top end of the scale in the current decision and stated he felt that awarding a step increase plus an across-the-board increase seemed excessive. Mayor Robertson requested that someone move an amendment to provide a cost-of-living (“COL”) increase, the amount to be determined by an independent index.

Councilmember Crais moved to amend the motion by adding a COL increase of 3.5% to every step. No second. Councilmember Moore stated she had not supported the motion because combining a COL with a step increase makes the steps as stated too large.

Councilmember McGowan moved to amend the motion by giving $500 per employee so that, in case the employee did not get a step increase, he/she would get at least $500. No second.

Councilmember Bellman moved to amend the motion by giving an across-the-board 2% increase; second by Councilmember Crais. Discussion of the motion to amend: Councilmember Crais reiterated that he was troubled by the ways in which COL and merit issues have been completely muddled, and felt that the proposal on the floor distinguished between the two. He is also increasingly troubled by this being a community of increasing affluence that has contributing workers who are unable to live here, and feels it is time to put things right. He suggested we also need to take a detailed look at the step system itself, since what appears to have begun as a merit system now seems to be an entitlement system. Councilmember McGowan put forward the concept of a Greater Granville, stating that the Village needed to keep Granville Township practices in mind so Village salaries don’t end up almost doubling Township ones. He is also troubled by the interplay of wage levels, the respect accorded to workers, and increasingly high expectations. Mayor Robertson agreed with the concern about high expectations. She reiterated her concern that we are having trouble keeping employees in several categories and that our goal should be for Granville to be known as a wonderful place to live and work. She asked Manager Hickman about the criteria for moving up a step (i.e., was it always expected or was there a merit component?). Manager Hickman responded that it had, in fact, come to have a feeling of entitlement but that efforts were under way to revert to a merit system (i.e., an evaluation system that tracks improvements in performance, with written reports that go into an employee’s permanent record). Councilmember Moore asked how many of the 41 or so employees did not get a step increase last year; Manager Hickman reported that “one or two” did not. Councilmember Moore asked what the standard was for a step increase; Manager Hickman said an employee had to be “at least above average.” Councilmember Bellman reiterated his feeling that Council needed to confine itself to “tweaking” the system for this year and schedule a major rewrite for next year so employees have adequate warning of an impending change. He also said it might be too lofty a goal to have workers live in the Village, given the rapid inflation of property values and attendant taxes. Councilmember Lucier suggested we make an effort, whenever possible, to hire people who already live here. A show-of-hands vote on the motion to amend yielded a 3-3 tie; the motion-to-amend is not carried. Councilmember Crais called the question on the motion. A show-of-hands vote on the motion yielded a 3-3 tie. The motion is not carried. Councilmember Lucier moved that Council change the schedule by adding step “J” at 4% above step “I”, and do an across- the-board adjustment of 1% for each step except “J”. Second by Councilmember Moore. A voice vote on the motion yielded two (2) ayes and four (4) nays. The motion is not carried.

Councilmember Bellman moved to give an across-the-board 2% increase plus a 1.5% bonus paid out in December. Second by Councilmember Crais. Discussion: Councilmember Moore asked if Councilmember Bellman intended to bump up every step; he said he did and that the 2% increase would be permanent. Councilmember McGowan pointed out that, with the increases of 4-6% already built in to the system, the 2% increase would mean net increases of 6-9%. Councilmember Moore called the question. A voice vote yielded two (2) ayes, three (3) nays, and one (1) abstention. The motion is not carried.

Councilmember Moore moved to add “J” at 4% above “I”, to increase the scale across-the-board by 1% except for “J”, and to provide a 1% bonus. Second by Councilmember Lucier. Councilmember Moore explained that her plan gives a modest adjustment to the scale itself to acknowledge changes in the market place, gives a 2% increase (only 1% of which carries over) and does not affect the step increases. Councilmember McGowan pointed out that the least anyone would get if they don’t move a step is 1% + 1%; the maximum, if they do move up a step, would be 8.25%. Councilmember Bellman moved to amend the motion by changing the 1% across-the-board increase to 1.5%. Second by Councilmember Crais. Councilmember Bellman stated the extra .5% would have a huge psychological impact, added to the step increase as opposed to the bonus. Councilmember Moore felt that an employee who didn’t get a step increase may not be an employee we want to keep. Councilmember Bellman responded that he was more concerned about the level of employees’ expectations. Councilmember McGowan pointed out that this amendment could result in a 9% overall adjustment. A voice vote on the motion-to-amend yielded a 3-3 tie. The motion-to-amend is not carried. A voice vote on the motion yielded a 3-3 tie. The motion is not carried.

Councilmember Lucier moved that Council add step “J” at 4% above step “I”, do an across-the-board adjustment of 1.5% not including “J”, and give a 1% bonus including “J”, to be paid in January 2001, based on 2001 wages. Second by Councilmember Crais. A voice vote on the motion yielded five (5) ayes and one (1) nay. The motion is carried.

Manager Hickman then asked about his proposal to change the payment for an insurance waiver from $600/year to $1,000/year. Nine employees now participate in this program and he is hoping to secure more. Councilmember Lucier asked if we require proof that employees are otherwise insured before they may participate in this program. Molly Roberts said we do. Councilmember Moore asked if there were any concrete evidence that more employees would participate if the waiver fee were raised. Manager Hickman said he and Ms. Roberts would gather data and bring the issue back at a subsequent meeting if it proved worth pursuing. (9:08pm) Ordinance No. 20-00, An Ordinance To Amend Ordinance No. 43-99 Providing For Adjustments Of The Annual Budget For The Fiscal Year 2000 And Revising Sums For Operating Expenses.

Discussion: Joe clarified that the second line item ($3,500 for the Broadway Bed) is meant to be part of a $5,000 total expenditure, the other $1,500 of which comes from Ordinance 21-00. Since Ordinance 21-00 cannot be voted on until the next Council meeting, the appropriation is being done this way to allow the community volunteers to start work immediately.

NEW BUSINESS (9:12pm) Resolution No. 00-40, A Resolution To Adopt The Findings Of Fact By Council Relative To The Appeal Hearing Of Robert Seith, was introduced and read in full by Councilmember Bellman; second by Councilmember Lucier. Councilmember Lucier commended Mr. Erhard for a well- written Finding of Fact. Manager Hickman reported that the paving proposal from Roberts Construction would come before the Planning Commission at its next meeting.

MAYOR'S REPORT (9:15pm) The Mayor's Court Report for the month of September was presented for review. Councilmember Crais made a motion to accept the report; second by Councilmember Moore. Motion carried. Mayor Robertson directed the report be filed with the Clerk. A copy of said report is attached as part of these minutes.

MANAGER'S REPORT (9:16pm) The Manager's Report for the month of September was presented for review. Councilmember Crais made a motion to accept the report; second by Councilmember McGowan. Mayor Robertson directed the report be filed with the Clerk. A copy of said report is attached as part of these minutes.

REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES (9:17pm) Councilmember Lucier made a motion to accept the minutes as submitted; second by Councilmember Crais. The motion carried.

COMMITTEE REPORTS (9:17pm) Development Committee (Councilmember Crais). The next meeting will include the finalization of new- business brochure and a rough draft re the possible formation of economic council.

Finance Committee (Councilmember Moore). The report was covered in the discussion of Ordinance 22-00. Newark-Granville Joint Committee (Mayor Robertson). The next meeting is Friday at 3:30, with our State Senator and State Representative joining members of the committee and council members from both communities.

Personnel Committee (Councilmember McGowan). Have not met since last Council meeting.

Planning Commission (Councilmember Lucier). Met with members of the GPBA Beautification Committee to discuss signs. There are many different opinions, particularly with respect to color. There will have a special meeting next Wednesday at 7:30am to discuss the traffic corridor overlay district being replaced by the historic district.

Rec Commission (Councilmember McGowan). Meets first Tuesday. No report since last meeting.

Street Light Committee (Councilmember McGowan). Lights are almost all installed; will replace more old lights next year.

Streets & Sidewalks Committee (for Vice Mayor Wernet). No meeting.

Tree and Landscape Committee (Councilmember Moore). No quorum. Manager Hickman reported that tree planting on South Main Street will begin shortly. Flowering trees on the Broadway Beds will also be planted. Councilmember McGowan asked about the stump-removal policy. Manager Hickman responded that he is now convinced that we need to make stump removal more of a continuous operation (i.e., get the tree down, get the stump out, and plant the new tree all in one contained time frame). The procedure will be changed.

Union Cemetery Board (Councilmember Lucier). Will meet next Monday. Had a successful meeting to resolve the property-line dispute with the Michaels. The proposed new line has been staked and surveyors will be doing a review.

OTHER: Mayor Robertson: · Asked if Manager Hickman had an update from Jerry Brems of LCATS. He reported he had attended their last meeting. Councilmember Moore asked if they had appropriated the money for the north-south study. Manager Hickman said they have to come up with new language in order to do so, but did agree to spending money for the feasibility study. They also gave him a copy of an engineering proposal and said they would make their aerial available as well; he hopes to have it for Mayor Robertson’s Friday meeting of the joint committee. Everything should fall into place with the next fiscal year. · Asked if anyone would be handing out candy at the Village Office on Beggar’s Night. Councilmembers Moore and McGowan have volunteered to do so. · Asked again about shielding the lights at the Elementary School. Manager Hickman said he has an appointment with the appropriate person early next week. Mayor Robertson asked him to check back copies of minutes from the Planning Commission to verify that this was promised at the outset. · Asked if a date for a planning session for Council had been set. Manager Hickman will e-mail everyone tomorrow and coordinate the responses. He added that he also has an invitation out to Norm Kennedy re the joint Township Trustees/Village Council meeting. · Asked about a date for the volunteer-recognition event. Manager Hickman said it will be October 27th, 11:00am-12:30pm, at Fanchion Lewis Park, for employees. He is still searching for a suitable date for the volunteer get-together.

Councilmember Moore: · Asked if Council would like to offer condolences to Vice Mayor Wernet on the death of his mother. Everyone decided to give a joint donation to the Sugar Loaf Fund, via McPeek Funeral Home. Manager Hickman: · Re Sugar Loaf Park – reported that the Sugar Loaf Foundation has a considerable amount of money. The trustees want to dissolve the Foundation, however, and turn the money over to the Village to be used for a Sugar Loaf Reserve Fund. He and Linda Sandin did a walk-through of the park. Mrs. Sandin wants to stay involved as a volunteer, as does Ben Barton. Manager Hickman feels we could use the Foundation funds to hire someone to clear trees, etc., if something needs to be done and Village workers are tied up elsewhere. He will also coordinate getting volunteers from local Scout troops. The Park looks good now; the benches were brought back up to the top of the hill the same day Ben Barton came to Council’s last meeting. In an interesting twist, Mrs. Sandin proposed dealing with the overgrown areas by using temporary, movable fencing to confine a pair of goats whose grazing habits would take care of the problem in no time.

Councilmember Bellman: · Asked that discussing the Comprehensive Plan be added to the agenda for the joint meeting of Township Trustees and Village Council.

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS Next Village Council meeting – November 1, 2000

ADJOURNMENT Councilmember Crais made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:37pm. Second by Councilmember Moore. Meeting adjourned.